I was thinking that #3 would be the last one, but I only got to July...so, now I will continue with: August 2014

A gift from Grandma...

Our big Black Walnut tree had to be cut down because it was rotting out at the base...I was not very happy about that and I miss seeing from my window every morning. But, it was just a tree and there will be others...though people in this area do seem to have a stigma against trees in general. However, it really did need to come down before the next blustery storm rolled through and felled it across the road, and tore down the power lines...

Morning fog...and a dove.

I love this shot!

These two...I call them the nose sisters, because we both have large noses, and they are always taking selfies together...and well, you get the picture. You would think they would learn wouldn't you? :)

Racheal, who was inside...pardon the rose garden across her nose... :)

September 2014

I know that this one is slightly blurry, but it is a gorgeous picture of her...

In September we attended a WWII reenactment in Tennessee with some friends....(Read my post about it here.)

When you have long hair, scarves tied on your head are the easiest 1940's hair-do's. And seriously, even if you do think they look kind of goofy, ladies did wear them...not the famous glamour girls you always see pictures of, but the down to earth real working people.

Dressed for dinner, sunburn included! :)

My Grandma (at right) and her cousin.

My Grandma's daddy (at right), and his older sister (G-ma's cousin's mama). See any resemblances to the above photo? :)

October 2014

Racheal turns 23...We have never really done big shabangs for birthdays, and the last couple years in particular...so she got a gun, a Norman Rockwell plate (she and I are both "collectors" of N.R. art...) and a chocolate cake. That was about all the festivity there was...

Every birthday it seems like, we manage to get one shot of her "5 year old face"...

We did actually have to re-light the candle to get this shot!

In October the three of us girls attended the Reformation Day Fair...I think it is becoming an annual tradition!

Yes Caleb, I was taking y'all's picture, but I still cannot figure out why that is so amusing...

Hello brother...are you shooting the shooter AGAIN? :)

Beautiful Racheal!

I was very tired on Sunday morning...

Family in Christ...

We were just fixing to start rolling when I looked out the car window...brother Andy had hopped up on the trunk of their car, and I said to Savannah (who was driving), "Wait! wait! wait! I have to get that picture!!" And I did. :)

Our good friends the S.'s were also at Ref. Day, though they had to leave on Saturday afternoon. But from there, they went to our place to visit with Daddy and Mom for a day. So when we returned home we got to see the S.'s again, AND they took Savannah with them when they went home...so there she stayed having a great time, for a few weeks.

Playing a tune which the little one was enjoying...

Savannah helping Mrs. S. fix someone's wedding dress...

November 2014

Racheal and Grandpa enjoying some football with their dinner...

This is the oddest cat...her form of affection is chewing on you...literally, I am not kidding! :)

CAT

I know it is crooked...but I like this picture...I think there is something interesting about its composition...

I love this picture, it makes it to my photos of the year list...

Y'all may be happy to note that that was the last cat photo... :) But hey, I just figured that I would put them all together...

So...we couldn't leave Savannah with the S.'s forever (though I am sure that they nor she really would have minded...), so Mom and I drove to pick her up.

I like trees...especially one's with "character" like this crooked one in our front yard...

Granddaddy went to be with the LORD on November 26th.This picture was taken a couple of weeks before. This was probably the last day he was truly lucid and very alert. Here I believe he was talking to his sister.If you had not spent the last year with him, you might not know, but the expression on his face and in his eyes in this photo is truly happiness. Most of the time this past year he was fraught with fear and anxiety, so the moments when he wore this happy expression, even if we did not know what it was that had amused him--perhaps it was even one of his hallucinations--but still, the moments last year when he wore this expression, were special.

Love you Granddaddy! I am so very glad that you are well now! I will see you again in the LORD's timing...

The next day was Thanksgiving...And even though death is so very unnatural, the passing of a believer from this life is not without reasons for thanks. Granddaddy's mind is no longer slowly dying, he is healed and whole, and he is now in the presence of the LORD our King!

Keeping up with out usual Thanksgiving tradition, we ate a big meal with Grandpa and Grandma. It was a rather odd day...

Grandma turned 91 in November...

Racheal was feeling rather ill, though you cannot tell in this picture...it really is a good one of her don't you think?

December 2014

Daddy, Mom, and Racheal went down to The Other State to arrange and attend Granddaddy's funeral and begin working on the business matters left behind...Savannah and I did not go also, because it was necessary that we stay at our Present F.O.B. (forward operating base) to be on-call for Grandpa and Grandma.

Granddaddy loved red...

While they were away, Grandpa tuned 92 years old!

D, M, and R were able to return in time for Christmas...

Poor Racheal did not feel good...she was having a bad Lyme attack.

Mom was thrilled, all her gifts would fit into one little bag...but then I had to go and give her a skirt, and mess the system up for her! :)

Spoon happy!

This is indeed a Norman Rockwell moment! :)

A new hat!

The tradition. Every year I get a doll for Christmas. I named this one Loretta. I told Mom the other day that she probably should eventually stop buying me dolls...and she just told me to start a doll museum! I might take her up on that some day.... :)

Me with my handsome Daddy...

Later we ate lunch with Grandpa and Grandma, then G-ma, Mom, and Savannah went to see G-ma's cousin.Later yet we ate dinner with them and exchanged gifts....

Just what he wanted!! Isn't my Grandpa adorable?

See, I DO come by my love of dolls honestly...

T-shirt toga and peanuts?

Yay! A new food processor!

A new skirt for SJ...

Yellow jacket for R!

I got one from Grandma too... At this point I was not feeling very well, lovely Lyme you know...

I love this picture..."What did we get Grandpa!?" I believe this was his electric blanket...the other thing he wanted!!

Handsome...

Christmas was a happy time this year...kind of a let-down from the whirlwind of recent events. A moment to relax before beginning a new chapter.

It used to be our tradition to have a fancy Christmas Eve party, but due to circumstances, that has not happened the past several years. So, this year, we decided to have a New Year Eve party instead...

A shoulder rub from Katherine...Not a good thing?

"Smile!!"

And that folks, is my year in review...It is brief (well, relatively...) with many details as well as photo's which I just couldn't fit in...

The year 2014 was a hard year, in more ways than one. I have shared mostly smiles, but that does not mean there were no tears.I trust that I have learned much along the way...and I expect that this new year of 2015 will hold many different challenges...May God grant me growth in Christian maturity, and may I leave this year, stronger in Him than I have left the last. He is strong through our weakness! Praise God! Amen.May God bless this new year...